Edging Towards BioUtopia: A New Politics of Reordering Life & The Democratic Challenge

345 Pages·2008·3.611 MB·English

by  Richard Hindmarsh

RICHARD HINDMARSH
Edging Towards
A New Politics of Reordering Life & the Democratic Challenge
BioUtopia
University of Western Australia Press
First published in 2008 by
University of Western Australia Press
Crawley, Western Australia 6009
www.uwapress.uwa.edu.au
Th is book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism
or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process
without written permission. Enquiries should be made to the publisher.
Copyright © Richard Hindmarsh 2008
Th e moral right of the author has been asserted.
National Library of Australia
Cataloguing-in-Publication entry:
Hindmarsh, Richard (Richard Alan), 1951– .
Edging towards bioutopia: a new politics of reordering life & the democratic challenge.
Bibliography.
Includes index.
ISBN 978 0 9802965 8 7 (pbk.).
1. Recombinant DNA — Research — Law and legislation — Australia. 2. Genetic
engineering — Government policy — Australia. 3. Genetic engineering — Political
aspects — Australia. 4. Genetic engineering — Law and legislation — Australia.
5. Genetic engineering — Australia. 6. Biotechnology — Australia. 7. Democracy
and science — Australia. I. Title.
660.650994
Cover image: Roy Tennant
Consultant editor: Bryce Moore
Designed by Anna Maley-Fadgyas
Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Abbreviations ix
List of Tables xiii
List of Figures xiv
Foreword xv
1 Edging Towards BioUtopia 1
2 BioUtopian Visions 19
3 Biodystopian Narratives and the Democratic Challenge 41
4 Biohazards, Regulatory Foundations Cast 57
5 Forging Alliances, Containing Public Debate 87
6 Battles Inside the Bureaucracy: Environmental Release Looms 117
7 Regulatory Maze: Public Dissent Swells 145
8 Uproar Over ‘Mutant Meat’, Federal Inquiry 163
9 Framing the Gene Technology Bill 2000 193
10 Passage of the Gene Technology Act 2000 225
11 At the BioUtopian Frontier 237
Epilogue 265
Endnotes 271
Select Bibliography 311
Index 323
v

Acknowledgments
In writing this manuscript, I especially appreciate the superb support of
my wife A’edah Abu Bakar. Th anks also to the rest of my family for their
encouragement and support. I am very grateful to Geoff rey Lawrence
for his inspiration in the fi rst place to write this social history; and for
his collaboration on other papers and two co-edited collections Altered
Genes and Recoding Nature. Th ese helped me formulate some of the ideas
for this book and contributed material. My thanks also to many other
friends and colleagues who gave encouragement and support along the
way, especially Michela Betta. Th e enthusiasm to publish the work from
both Margaret Whiskin and Maureen de la Harpe is much appreciated.
Also most helpful was the research support of both the Centre for
Governance and Public Policy and the Griffi th School of Environment at
Griffi th University; the early contribution to the research of an Australian
Research Council Post-doctoral Research Fellowship and a University
of Queensland Research and Development grant while I was with the
UQ Contemporary Studies Unit. I am grateful for the ready access to
archival materials of the Australian GeneEthics Network, Th e Greens
(New South Wales), Th e University of Melbourne, and the Australian
Academy of Science. Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to
the staff of UWA Press, especially Kate McLeod, designer Anna Maley-
Fadgyas, editor Bryce Moore and to UWA Press’ anonymous reviewer.
vii

Abbreviations
AAS Australian Academy of Science
ABA Australian Biotechnology Association
ABARE Australian Bureau of Agricultural and
Resource Economics
ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation
ACA Australian Consumers Association
ACEL Australian Centre for Environmental Law
ACF Australian Conservation Foundation
ACIUCN Australian Committee for the International
Union for the Conservation of Nature and
Natural Resources
ACT Australian Capital Territory
AEC Australian Environment Council
AIRDIS Australian Industrial Research and
Development Incentives Scheme
ALP Australian Labor Party
ANZEC Australian and New Zealand Environment
Council
ANZFA Australian and New Zealand Food
Authority
ANZFAS Australian and New Zealand Federation of
Animal Societies
ix
Abbreviations
ARGC Australian Research Grants Council
ARGS Australian Research Grants Scheme
ASCORD Australian Academy of Science Committee
on Recombinant DNA Molecules
ASTEC Australian Science and Technology Council
AUBC Adelaide University Biohazards Committee
AVCC Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals
Council
CGIAR Consultative Group of International
Agricultural Research Centres
COGENE Committee on Genetic Experimentation
of the International Council of Scientifi c
Unions (ICSU)
CRC Cooperative Research Centres programme
CSCG Commonwealth–State Consultative Group
CSIRO Commonwealth Scientifi c and Industrial
Research Organisation
Cth Commonwealth
DAHE Department of Arts, Heritage and the
Environment
DAS Department of Administrative Services
DASETT Department of Arts, Sport, the Environment,
Tourism and Territories
DIST Department of Industry, Science and
Technology
DITARD Department of Industry, Technology and
Regional Development
DITAC Department of Industry, Technology and
Commerce
DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid
DoH Department of Health
DoS Department of Science
x
Abbreviations
DPIE Department of Primary Industries & Energy
DPI Department of Primary Industries
DSE Department of Science and the
Environment
DST Department of Science and Technology
EU European Union
E. coli Escherichia coli
EMS eosinophilia myalgia syndrome
EPA Environmental Protection Agency (USA)
FDA Food and Drug Administration (USA)
FoE Friends of the Earth
FSANZ Food Standards Australia New Zealand
GE Genetic engineering
GeN Gen-ethisches Netzwerk (Berlin, Germany)
GM Genetically Modifi ed
GMAC Genetic Manipulation Advisory Committee
GMOs Genetically modifi ed organisms
GOBR Group of Offi cials on Biotechnology
Regulations
GT Act Gene Technology Act 2000 (Cth)
GT Bill Gene Technology Bill 2000 (Cth)
GTEC Gene Technology Ethics Committee
IBCs Institutional biosafety committees
IOGTR Interim Offi ce of the Gene Technology
Regulator
NAS National Academy of Sciences (USA)
NBPRG National Biotechnology Program Research
Grants
NHMRC National Health and Medical Research
Council
NIH National Institutes of Health (USA)
xi
Abbreviations
NSW New South Wales
OTGR Offi ce of the Gene Technology Regulator
OFA Organic Federation of Australia
PM&C Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
Qld Queensland
rDNA Recombinant DNA
RAC Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee
(USA)
RDMC Recombinant DNA Monitoring Committee
UK United Kingdom
US United States
USA United States of America
All abbreviations are relevant to Australia unless otherwise indicated
xii